Book excerpt: The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has recognized genomics as a priority area in public health education. To help public health students and professionals achieve proficiency in the language of genetics and attain genomics competencies delineated by the CDC, this book offers an introduction to basic molecular genetics and discusses the relevance of genomics to such key public health issues as environmental health, ethnic health disparities, health policy and law, research ethics, maternal and child health, clinical preventive medicine, health behavior, health economics, and communicable disease control. Presented in a context that is easy to understand, the book serves as an accessible portal of entry into the world of public health genomics.